Ireland's Minister Introduces Overhaul of Trademark Law Aimed at Lowering Costs and Increased Legal Certainty for Business

Ireland's Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, has introduced an overhaul of Irish trade mark law that will lead to lower costs and increased legal certainty for business. This reform follows an EU Directive which has been transposed into Irish law and is the first major reform of trade mark law in Ireland for over 20 years.

With the new Irish law reform, the updated trade mark system in Europe can now address business challenges of the 21st century while ensuring it remains effective as technology develops. Additionally, it balances the national laws of EU Member States, streamlines procedures, facilitates cooperation, supports anti-counterfeiting measures and provides up-to-date means by which to protect a trade mark.

In Europe, a trade mark can be registered at national level at the Industrial Property (IP) offices of Member States, or at EU level as a European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). SMEs are important users of the European system however they prefer national systems as they may not need EU level protections for their work. The new trade law aims to hold similar weight with the EUTM system and facilitates cooperation between the IP offices and the EUIPO.

With the UAE government set to plug in more than $100 million in R&D through technology accelerators and other investment portals, the need for a strong IP or trade mark laws that can transcend borders is vital to the success and security of the final output. Generating further investments into R&D by offering assurances on security can boost the economy dramatically and change the economic landscape of the UAE in its entirety.